Pool-game-tallying device



C. H. RITZMAN. POOL GAME TALLYING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 17. 1920.

Patented Sept. 26, 1922.

2 shins-sum :1.

I INVENTOR.

C. J7. Ritz} m an,

c. HQRITZ MAN.

POOL GAME TALLYING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILEQ MAY 17, I920- 1 ,430,262, Patented Sept- 26, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Inventor.

Attorney.

I and a resident UFFICE,

CHARLES R'ETZMAN, DUMONT, IOWA,

I y Y POOL-GAME-TALLYING nnvrcn.

Application filed May 17,

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it knownthat 1, CHARLES H. RITZMAN, a citizenotthe United States of America, of Dumont, Butler County, Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pool-GameTallying Devices, of which the following is a specificatlon. y I

My invention relates to improvements in pool-game tallying devices, and the object of my improveinentisto siipplyfor the use and convenience of proprietors of pool-halls and others, a registering device adapted for tallying games played, serially, and which is; operable to return to a ero position.

This object has been accomplishedby the means which are hereinafter described, and claimed, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in. which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the discoidal face of the device only; Fig. 2 is a rearelevation of the rear face of the device, with parts broken away; Fig. 3 is'a rearelevat-ion of the'device, with parts removed or broken away,

and showing the manually operable means for returning the mechanism to zeropos1- t-ion; F dis an elevation of certain sup porting andoperating elements of the de vice as removed therefrom, and 5 is a perspective detail view of the operating mechanism, with parts removed or broken away, showing in full lines the positions of out the several views.

the pawls at the instant when they are all disengaged :trom the ratchet-wheels, the dot ted lines showing the usual position of the pawl 34:.

In said drawings, similar numerals of reference denote correspond ng parts through- The numeral 1 denotes a disk having at the top an escutche'on 2prov1dedwv1th an opening through whichis displayed any numeral.

4? of a series of numerals arranged around one face of another disk 1 vhe latter mounted rotatably to the rear) of said disk '1, within a rearwardly directed marginal flangeS of the disk 1. The disk 1 is sus pended. fixedly by means of a tubular element 6, whose lower end is fixed in a hollow casting5 secured to the top of the disk, and

Whose upper end is secured in a hollow hanger9 fixed above, as on a ceilingabove apooltable. I The numeral 21 denotesa short axis or shaft projecting rearwardly from the cen ter of the rear face the disk 1, the disk.

1920. Serial No. 381,939.

3'being centrally orificed to permitit to be rotatably mounted on said shaft immediately to the rear of the disk 1. Upon the rear faceof the disk 3 isfixedly secured coaxially a ratchet-wheel 18 part of whose circumferential periphery. at 17 is denuded of teeth, the opposite edges of the bounding teeth being slopingly curved as shown.

The rear face of said ratchet-wheel is raised to furnish a coaxial ratchet-wheel 19,

whose teeth face rearwardly. From the latterratchet-wheel projects radially a fixed detent 23. The raised central part of said combined ratchets is provided with a co axial hollow thus providing a hollow spring seat 20 closedat the rear. Aspiral spring 22 is mounted in the hollow of this springseat, with one end connected to the inner wall of the spring-seat, and its inner'end connected to said shaft'21, whereby thespring is reactively wound up when the disk 3 and said ratchets are together rotated one 1 is hung ahooked hanger 37, and in the other orificed extremity ishung a chain 38, the

lower end of, the chain having a ring-connection with one angle of a triangle 39 used to spot the balls on the table beneath. y,

In the plate 26 is an arcuate opening 28 immediately over the ratchet-teeth 19. On

the outer face ofthe arm of said bar 27 which carries said triangle is ,tastened an elastic'bar 30 whose free end or t1p 35 is bent toward the ratchet 19, traversing the opening 29 in said arm to movably engage the teeth ofsaid ratchet. A plate-spring 31 is anountedon-said pawl to reinforce it .resili-- entlv.

The numeralQi denotes a bar crossing the disk SdiametricaIly vertically, with medial orifice-seating it .on the shaft 21 over said plate 26 and rocksbar 27, thefupper end of whichis removably secured to the casting 5,

and the lower end toasmall plate? "fixed on p the disk rim 8. A. longitudinally channeled plate is mounted over the upper part of the vertical bar The nun'ierul 3? denotes a pawl pivoted at one end to the overlying plate 26 wi h its detent 3-iheld r occasional with the detent 23 by a helical sp A r nected between it and the bar il, and this pawl is extended to provide an arcuate arm for ope ation in actuating the pawl. (ln the front face of the plate 26 is a detent 36 adapted to act a stop for the detent when the dish 3 has arrived at either end of opposite rotations.

A triangular plate 14-. is pivoted at 15 to the upper part of the front face oi the plate 536 and has atone angle a pin 16 which serves as apawl or dog in inovably engaging the teeth on the ratchetwrheel 1th and has at another angle a ring-connection with one end of a coiled spring whose opposite end is secured to the bar 2%. A connectingyrod 13 is connected between the third or uppermost angle of said plate and the lower end of a cord 12. The cord 12 is passed. through the hollow of the tubular hanger 6 and the casting 9, thencethrough a screw-eye lined in the ceiling over the station of the proprie tor, andis furnished with a terminal ring 11.

The triangle 39 may be hung on the hooked hanger 37 when not in use. When the triangle is used to spot the balls its chain 38 swinc s down the connected arm of the rock-bar 27, and the pawl rotates the ratcl1etiwheel through the length 01" one tooth ofthe ratchet-face 19. This advances serially a number a on the disk 3, the number being visible through the opening of the escutcheon 2 of the front disk 1. This successive actuation in rotating; the disk 3 in a step-hystep movement, winds up the spiral spring 22, but the guard-pawl 16 locks the teeth of the ratchet 19 against retrograde movement. The uppermost pawl 16 during this operationmeshes with roots of teeth oit'the ratchet 18 to prevent a retrograde rotation of the dislr due to the reaction of the spring 22,but the lowermost pawl 3-4 is idle or disengaged, as it lies in the path of movement of the detent 23, and is intended toonly engage said detcnt at the end of a rotation. That is the detenl during the last step of a rotationcngageu the pawl 34 and presses it out of its path yieldinp ly and resiliently while the drivin pawl. 35 is rotating); the :ratchet 18 throu the last tooth thereof of the counting series, the pawl 34 then snappinpyback'of and engaging the rear edge of the detent just as the detent engages and is stopped by the stationary pin or detent36. During this last movement :ofthe ratchet 18, the uppermost pawl '16 is disengaged from teeth of said ratchethecause of thepassage thereunder ofthe toothlessi'im part 17 of the 'ihe position. of the pawl 3st and m 32, at his time is indicated by the d lines in Fig.

The c 'eniity oi the arm 32 is provided with a cross-bar which lies in the path of the lever 97 while descending. [is the whole series of games has now been played and indicat l on the dial, the device is reset as follows. The triang e 3%) may be hung on the hanger 37, whose weight roclrs downwardly the adjacent end of the lever, so that the opposite end of the lever rocks up wardhg causing the spring-pawl 35 to ride out oi the slot 28 an d upon the rear :tace of the fixed plate 26, thus holding the pawl disen' paged from the ratchet 18. Simultaneously. the lever engage the cross-bar on the extreur y oi the arm 3:2 and rocks the latter outwai \lly to disengage the pawl 34- from the detent 5 shows thepositions oi said movable elements at this moment while the ratchet 18 released from all of the pawls 16 35 and 34:, at which time the reaction of the coiled spring 22 rotates the ratchet 18 rearwardly to its Zero position ready for another series of actuations, the detent then engaging the opposite side of the fixed detent 36 to stop its rotation beyond said zero position. Attention is invited to the fact that the encasing of the thrown?! rod. 13 and cord 12 in the hangertube 6 prevents unauthorized meddling by a player with them.

In case players desire to quit playing before the completion of a series of games, the cashier may reset the device fromv a distance by pulling; the cord 12, which lifts the pawl 16 out of mesh with teeth of? the ratchet 1.8 and as the triangle has been placed on. the hunger 37 at the end of the last game played, the pawls 341 and are disrg and so that the released ratchet is free to he returned by the spring 2-2 to zero position.

Having describeiil my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device oi the character described a fixed shat" a dial rotatably mounted thereon, a spi connected between said dial and shaft to exercise tension. upon the dial when rotated in one direction, inner and outer ratchcts having" oppositely directed teeth fixed concentrically upon said dial, the outer ratchet havin a portion of its circuit denuded of teeth, a resiliently controlled pawl yieldingrly engaging teeth of said outer ratchet, a single detent extending radially outwardly from the said. outer ratchet, a fixed stopanember extending into the path of rotation of said detent to stop the r0tation of said ratchet at either limit of 0pposite rotations thereof, a rock-lever medially pivoted on said fixed shaft, :1- poolof saii'l lever a hanger suspended on the opposite end of said lever, a resiliently-controlled pawl mounted on the said lever and engaging teeth on the inner ratchet, a fixed plate positioned between said ratchets and said lever, and adapted to have the lastmentioned pawl ride upon it and be disengaged from said ratchet when said lever is rocked to its limit in one direction, and a resiliently-controlled pawl positioned yieldingly in the path of rotation of said detent and having an arm positioned in the path of movement of the opposite end of I said lever, the latter when moved in one direction'pushlng over said arm to Withdraw the lastmentio11ed pawl from the path of Signed at Waterloo, Iowa, this 3rd day of May, 1920.

CHARLES H. RITZMAN. 

